The present invention relates to machines for assembling and laying rolls of pre-cultivated turf on the ground, for example on sports grounds.
At present the laying of precultivated turf is carried out in the traditional way, that is manually, with the help of wheelbarrows, by progressing on boards that are moved forward as the work progresses. Moreover, before the turf is laid, it is necessary to rake the ground lightly so as to remove any footprint, after which the rolls of turf are unrolled and abutted against the previously laid length of turf; then the turf is roller and watered several times. All these tasks are carried out manually and make the turf-laying operation a time-consuming, burdensome and expensive one.
There also exists patents mentioned in the field of search of the initial French application, namely, U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,640 (White) which relates to a means for laying sod on the ground comprising a horizontal platform made up of a conveyor carrying an upstanding support at one end and connected to an inclined plate fitted with a drive sprocket with radially extending fins.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,408,666 (Lawson) relates to an apparatus for guiding the turf to the ground comprising a storage platform and a conveyor.
U.S. Pat. No. 982,711 (Bradley) relates to a sod laying machine comprising a platform made up of several rollers which feed the lengths of turf between conveyor belts through ratchet means.
The present invention remedies these drawbacks as the operators and the rolls of turf are carrie by the machine, which dispenses with the handling of boards and provides a considerable gain in time.